Samsung’ Foundry Business Division is set to host a Foundry and SAFE Forum in Silicon Valley, U.S., on June 12-13. According to Business Korea, the tech giant would reveal its latest technology roadmap, reportedly moving up its 1nm mass production schedule from 2027 to 2026.

Samsung’s SF1.4 process, which is said to compete with TSMC’s 1.4nm, originally targets to start mass production in 2027. Now the company seems to make an update and move the schedule ahead.

As per Samsung’s previous roadmap, the 2-nanometer SF2 process is set to debut in 2025. Compared to the second-generation 3GAP process at 3 nanometers, it offers a 25% improvement in power efficiency at the same frequency and complexity, as well as a 12% performance boost at the same power consumption and complexity, while reducing chip area by 5%.

In a previous report, Business Korea noted that Samsung had already secured the first batch of orders for 2nm AI chips, which goes to Japanese AI startup Preferred Networks.

On the other hand, TSMC, the leading semiconductor foundry, has also reportedly secured its 2nm order, as its 2nm process in on track for mass production in 2025.

Industry sources indicated that Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, made a visit to TSMC in May to secure the latter’s advanced manufacturing capacity, potentially 2nm process, booked for Apple’s in-house AI-chips, according to a report by Economic Daily News.

TSMC plans to reach the A16 node (1.6nm) in 2027. According to a previous report by TechNews, citing foreign media, TSMC is expected to start mass production for 1.4nm around 2027-2028. Recent reports from Economic Daily News indicated that TSMC intends to establish a factory in the Science Park of Taibao City, Chiayi County in central Taiwan to produce 1nm chips.

▲The advanced technology roadmap of TSMC, as shown in the 2024 Technology Symposium (Source: TSMC)

(Photo credit: Samsung)

According to foreign media reports on May 25, Russia’s first lithography machine has been completed and is currently undergoing testing. Vasily Shpak, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, pointed out that this equipment can ensure the production of 350nm (0.35μm) chips.

350nm chip is said to be relatively lagging by modern standards, but it can still apply to various industries such as automotive, energy, and telecommunications. The successful development of this lithography machine represents a milestone for Russia in achieving self-sufficient chip production in the future.

Currently, the global lithography machine market is still dominated by ASML, Nikon, and Canon.

According to publicly available information from foreign media, Russia has two main wafer fabs at present, Mikron and Angstrem. Mikron provides 65-250nm chip manufacturing capabilities, while Angstrem, which went bankrupt and reorganized in 2019, provides 90-250nm chip manufacturing with an 8-inch wafer fab. Both companies mainly offer chips for military, aerospace, and industrial applications. Therefore, the new home-made lithography equipment is expected to be supplied to these two companies.

Down the road, Russia aims to manufacture a lithography machine that can support the 130nm process by 2026. Previously, Russia announced the plans to achieve a 65nm chip node process by 2026, 28nm chip manufacturing domestically by 2027, and 14nm domestic chip manufacturing by 2030.

(Photo credit: TASS)

According to TianYanCha.com, the third phase of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Co., Ltd. has recently been established in China. The legal representative is Zhang Xin, with a registered capital of RMB 344 billion.

The fund’s business scope includes private equity fund management, venture capital fund management services, and activities such as equity investment, investment management, and asset management through private equity funds, as well as business management consulting.

Shareholder information reveals that the company is jointly held by 19 shareholders, including the Ministry of Finance, China Development Bank Capital, Shanghai Guosheng Group, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China.

As reported by the Commercial Times, the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, known as the Big Fund, was established in 2014. Its aim is to leverage fiscal funds to attract private capital, focusing on key segments of the integrated circuit industry chain, including chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing. The fund’s overall plan spans 15 years, highlighting a long-term strategic investment perspective.

The Big Fund not only provides financial support but also integrates resources, guides private capital investment, and promotes cooperation within the industry chain. These efforts have significantly enhanced the overall competitiveness of China’s integrated circuit industry. The fund plays a crucial role in advancing strategic national industries, accelerating industrial restructuring and upgrading, and strengthening national competitiveness.

The first phase of the National IC Industry Investment Fund, established in 2014, had a scale of approximately RMB 130 billion. Its primary goal was to support the development of the domestic semiconductor industry and reduce reliance on foreign chip technology. Public data indicates that its investments were distributed approximately as follows: 67% in integrated circuit manufacturing, 17% in design, 10% in packaging and testing, and 6% in equipment and materials, highlighting the manufacturing sector as a key focus.

The second phase of the National IC Industry Investment Fund was launched in 2019 with a scale of about RMB 200 billion, significantly larger than the first phase. While continuing to support the semiconductor industry, the second phase places greater emphasis on the upstream and downstream segments of the industry chain, including IC design, manufacturing, packaging, testing, and the R&D of related equipment and materials.

▲The detailed information of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Phase Three Co., Ltd. as shown on TianYanCha.com.

(Photo credit: SMIC)

Google has reportedly collaborated with TSMC on the upcoming Tensor G5 chip, slated for use in the Pixel 10 series smartphone to be released next year, according to media outlet Android Authority, based on information it spotted in trade databases.

Google has been cooperating with Samsung on its self-developed Tensor processors since 2021, including the Tensor G4 used in the Pixel 9.

The US tech giant’s latest strategic move is reportedly making Tensor G5 the first Google smartphone chip not produced by Samsung.

According to industry insiders cited by the aforementioned report, despite Google’s relatively low smartphone market share, the act would signify TSMC’s leading position in advanced nodes, and is expected to foster closer collaboration between the two companies in the future.

According to the market share data released by Trendforce in March, in 4Q 2023, Apple ranked as 1^st in global smartphone production, with a 23.3% market share, while Samsung (15.9%) and Xiaomi (12.8%) ranked as 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively. Google, on the other hand, has not made it to the top six.

Regarding other major smartphone players’ product roadmaps next year, in addition to Google’s Pixel 10, Apple is also rumored to cooperate with TSMC on the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, based on a previous report from Wccftech.

Samsung, on the other hand, is reportedly planning to use its 2nm process on the latest Exynos 2600 chip, which is expected to start mass production in 2025, and be used in the Galaxy S26 series smartphone, according to a previous report by the Korea media outlet ET News.

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• [News] Samsung Reportedly to Challenge Apple/TSMC with 3nm Exynos W1000

(Photo credit: Google)

According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, UMC has recently engaged in discussions with global giants such as Texas Instruments and Infineon about long-term cooperation plans. Additionally, Taiwan’s two leading IC design companies, MediaTek and Realtek, have seen their inventories of WiFi 6/6E chips depleted, prompting them to increase their orders with UMC.

TrendForce recently reported that the White House announced on May 14th the imposition of additional tariffs on semiconductor products manufactured in China. This move has accelerated a shift in supply chain orders, leading Taiwanese foundries to receive increased orders, boosting capacity utilization beyond expectations.

For the second half of this year, Vanguard’s capacity utilization is expected to rise above 75%, PSMC’s 12-inch capacity utilization will reach 85-90%, and UMC’s overall capacity utilization will settle between 70-75%.

UMC’s orders from overseas clients are largely driven by the U.S. tariffs on Chinese semiconductor imports, which are projected to double to 50% by 2025. This has spurred a wave of supply chain relocations, with UMC leveraging its diverse manufacturing footprint to attract long-term cooperation plans from companies like Texas Instruments, Infineon, and Microchip.

From the perspective of Taiwanese market, UMC has benefited from a recent recovery in the networking sector. Taiwan’s top two WiFi 6 chip suppliers, MediaTek and Realtek, responding to customer restocking demands, have begun to increase their orders for WiFi chips with UMC.

Recent revenue data from Realtek indicates a rebound in the networking market. In April, Realtek’s consolidated revenue reached NT$10.068 billion, a 11.4% increase month-over-month and a 21.9% increase year-over-year, marking the first time in 20 months that monthly revenue has surpassed NT$10 billion.

MediaTek’s consolidated revenue in April was NT$42.028 billion, a 16.74% decrease month-over-month, yet still the second highest on record for the period, with a 48.25% year-over-year increase. Foundry sources indicate that MediaTek has placed additional orders for the third quarter, suggesting that networking customers are set to upgrade specifications this year.

UMC’s consolidated revenue in April was NT$19.741 billion, up 8.67% month-over-month and 6.93% year-over-year, reaching a 16-month high. UMC previously projected that as inventories in the computer, consumer, and communication sectors return to healthier levels, overall wafer shipments would see a slight increase this quarter. However, in the automotive and industrial sectors, slower-than-expected inventory digestion has kept demand subdued.

(Photo credit: UMC)